SEATTLE (June 27, 2014) – On the heels of signing the Seattle Preschool Program legislation, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray issued the following statement on support for the Early Learning Nation resolution at the US Conference of Mayors earlier this week:

"Following the unanimous vote of support for my Early Learning Nation resolution at the US Conference of Mayors this past Monday, hundreds of mayors in cities and communities, from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon, are making early learning and child brain development a national priority. Each of us, as mayors and elected officials, are now committed to making our cities and country an Early Learning Nation by 2025. We can do nothing less for our children.

"This commitment is coming from and through those elected officials and leaders who are closest to the people and institutions in their communities. This is a genuine grassroots endeavor. The groundbreaking research into early childhood development of leading scientists – including those from our own University of Washington -- will be fully integrated into the day-to-day life of millions of families across our nation.

"As a first step to help meet this exciting challenge, the Bezos Family Foundation has unveiled a website – www.eln2025.org – which provides a growing range of resources and assets for mayors and community leaders to access and use as they begin their own individual community journeys to building an Early Learning Nation.

"This website is the first phase. It will continue to grow and become a true reflection of the work mayors and their cities – including Seattle – are doing as each of them develops and implements their own plans. And, while the Bezos Family Foundation is proud to be able to incubate the site and make it widely available, it truly is a location for crowd-sourcing and for all who care about our children, their parents and families."

This afternoon Murray signed the Seattle Preschool Program legislation, placing it on the November 4 General Election ballot.